Towards a Fingerprint of Brewing

The molecular complexity of beer is the topic of a recent publication by the authors Pieczonka, Lucio, Rychlik and Schmitt-Kopplin. The authors show how Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) can be used to identify molecular patterns of beer samples. The acquired ‘metabolic signature’ of a beer proves to be a useful characteristic for quality and origin control as well as for analyzing historic beer-like beverages.